


Fall with Style

by crimsontheory



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anxiety Attacks, Bartender Harry, Blow Jobs, Fluff, Frottage, M/M, Meet-Cute, Miscommunication, Pining, Shy Louis, Smut, Social Anxiety, i literally can't think of anything else to tag i suck, just a little mention of one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-15 09:05:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11227740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsontheory/pseuds/crimsontheory
Summary: Louis doesn't get out too much due to his shyness. The only two friends he has he met online and they both live miles and miles away. Then along comes a cute bartender that completely flips Louis' life upside down.





	Fall with Style

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kouesh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kouesh/gifts).



> After I wrote my Big Bang, I told myself that I would never write again. That obviously worked out really well for me. I procrastinated the shit out of this, which is so unlike me with exchange fics. I usually finish them like a month ahead of time, I just didn't with this one for some reason. Since I procrastinated so much, a lot of this is really rushed and overall I'm not very happy with it, but ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Kouesh, I loved all of your prompts so much! It actually took me quite awhile to finally decide on which one to write. I truly hope that I did your prompt justice and I hope that you like it, but I'd completely understand if you don't.
> 
> And lastly, a big thank you to Kat for reading this and bouncing around ideas with me when I was stumped. You are a true babe! Of course all mistakes are my own.
> 
> I apologize in advance to anyone who reads this. 
> 
> Title is taken from Cellophane and Glass by Steel Train.

Where the hell do you find mini pepperoni in the supermarket? Louis is standing in front of the display of regular-sized pepperoni, but there's no mini ones in sight. Do mini pepperonis even exist? 

That would be just his luck. His friends tell him about the recipe that he just _has_ to try that calls for mini pepperoni, just for him to show up at the store and look like a total idiot because mini pepperonis aren't even a thing. He should have known better than to trust Niall and Liam.  

Although, the recipe did look quite nice, exactly the kind of thing Louis would love. He's been out of food for quite awhile and he's in desperate need of a food shop. And he doesn't really have the money to keep ordering takeout every night. 

Since he had to stop by the shops after work, it's going to take him even longer to get home than normal because the supermarket is two blocks out of his way. That's ten extra minutes added to his walk home. He frustrated that he can't find these damn mini pepperonis, the very last thing on his list, and he's grumpy that he even had to stop here in the first place. It's all Liam and Niall’s fault.   

They are the only friends he has though, since he doesn't tend to go out much; he's either at work or home. Louis is a little shy, introverted, and he has trouble starting up conversations with people he doesn't know. He doesn't do small talk. It's hard for him to make friends because of his social awkwardness so he resorted to tumblr. 

At first he only created his account to stay even more up to date on all things footie, but then eventually people started talking to him and that's how he met Niall, who is just as into football as Louis is. He also really likes golf too, which Louis still thinks is weird. Niall was already friends with Liam, who Louis _did not_ get on with at first. He was a goody two shoes, a rule follower, and Louis was the complete opposite. But eventually they learned to love each other and honestly Louis doesn't know what he'd do without him or Niall. They both live miles and miles away and he's only met them in real life once, but they're kind of all he has. Even though he sorta hates them right now.  

Louis sighs and turns away, deciding to just give up and never talk to his friends again when he notices something out of the corner of his eye. Right there and the very end of the display is a little baggie of mini pepperonis. The word _mini_ is in big, bold letters. He doesn't know how he missed it before. He takes it and tosses it into his basket.  

On the way to the checkout, Louis grabs milk because he needs it for his tea in the morning and a bottle of wine just because he can. He gets distracted by a display of two for one chocolate biscuits, before adding two of those to his basket as well. He’s never been one to turn down a good deal. 

Unfortunately, there’s only one checkout lane open, so Louis has to stand in line behind two other people. He scrolls through tumblr on his phone as he waits and reblogs a few good posts. He slides his phone into his back pocket once it’s finally his turn and he places his items on the little conveyer belt, eyeing up the mini shelves of sweets and chewing gum. 

“Good evening.” 

Louis looks up from the little shelves when the checker greets him. “Evening,” Louis says back. 

“These biscuits are my favorite,” the cashier says cheerily, as he scans the chocolate biscuits. “I noticed they were on sale and I might have to stock up on them for myself.” 

Louis watches as he scans the rest of his items before bagging them up, and he can’t tell if this guy is flirting with him or not. He’s been very smiley and chatty with him. Louis didn’t notice him talking this much with the customers in line in front of him. He is quite good looking; tall, nice hair, and he seems to have the exact same taste in food as Louis does, but then again that could just be the flirting. Or maybe he just has excellent customer service skills. 

Maybe Louis should chat him up, he has been single for an awfully long time, but he’s not sure how to even do that. He’s just been standing here, smiling awkwardly as this nice guy tries his hardest to make conversation with him. 

Finally, the cashier seems to have given up as he gives Louis his total. Louis swipes his credit card and grabs his shopping bags. The checker tells him to have a nice night and Louis smiles apologetically at him before making his way through the automatic sliding doors. 

Now he’s in an even worse mood. He wishes he could just talk to people. Why is it so hard for him to open his mouth and say something? He pushes the thoughts out of his mind as he starts his walk home. 

He feels his phone vibrate in his back pocket and he slips it out to see a new text from Liam. Louis is supposed to be mad at him, but he could also really use a friend right now. He's too busy typing out a reply that he's not paying any attention to where he's going and he runs directly into something very firm and solid. Somehow, his feet get tangled up beneath him and he falls, landing on his bum on the sidewalk. 

“I'm so sorry. Are you alright?” He hears a rich and deep voice like dark chocolate ask before he sees a very large, very pretty hand in front of his face. There's a ring on almost every one of the fingers on the hand and several tattoos going up the forearm. 

Louis takes the hand into his own and is pulled back up onto his feet. He opens his mouth to thank the person who just helped him, but the words die in his throat when he sees _that face_. Of course Louis would fall flat on his arse and embarrass himself in front of the most beautiful person in the world. The checker at the supermarket has _nothing_ on this guy.  

Okay, he hasn’t actually _seen_ every person in the world, but he’s pretty sure this man standing in front of him is the most beautiful one of them all. Bright green eyes are blinking up at him with a cute little furrow in between them. His hair is short, but just long enough that it’s trying its hardest to curl, especially around his neck and tiny ears. The plain white t shirt he’s wearing is sheer enough that Louis can make out quite an expanse of dark ink over his torso.  

A smile spreads across the man’s face and Louis’ knees buckle. He was already gorgeous enough and _that smile_ makes it ten times worse. And, _oh no_ , there’s a deep dimple carved into his left cheek. This is quite possibly the worst thing that has ever happened to Louis. He needs to get out of here fast before he can embarrass himself further. 

He feels his face flush when he realizes he hasn’t let go of the man’s hand. He’s been standing there awkwardly, not saying a thing, and holding the hand of some stranger. Yeah, way too late to not be even more embarrassing. 

“Are you alright?” The man asks again, and that voice. Louis could get lost in it. Just like he’s been lost in those deep, mossy green eyes for what feels like the last hour, but most likely has only been about thirty seconds. 

Louis finally drops his hand and brushes off the back of his trousers. He swallows and drops his eyes to the ground before answering. “Yes. I—I’m fine.” He can’t even get three words out without stumbling. How do you even act like a normal person in front of someone that pretty? 

“Good. That’s good. Was totally my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going. I’m terribly sorry.” He is probably the slowest talker Louis has ever heard. He wants to sit and listen to him talk for days. 

“‘s okay,” Louis replies. He still hasn’t looked up from the scuffed boots of the stranger standing in front of him. Too afraid he’ll chicken out and won’t be able to say a thing once he sees his face again. But there’s that large hand Louis held earlier coming into his line of vision and he looks up anyway. He feels his stomach swoop when he meets those green eyes. 

“I’m H—” He doesn’t get to finish what he was going to say because Louis freaks. He’s nervous and doesn’t know what to say. He can’t just casually be around someone this beautiful, he doesn’t know how to act. 

“I’m sorry,” Louis interrupts. “I have to go.” He swerves his way around the man and hightails it out of there. He’s only about ten feet away when he realizes he forgot his shopping bags on the sidewalk. Embarrassingly, he walks back and doesn’t make eye contact as he picks up his bags. 

Louis feels like he can breathe again when he’s a fair distance away. He pulls up the groupchat on his phone, and sees the text he was typing out in reply to what Liam said before he bumped into that pretty stranger. He clears out the unfinished text and sends something completely different. 

 _Just embarrassed the shit out of myself in front of the most gorgeous guy I have ever seen. Help._  

\-- 

He’s almost late for work the following morning because he had to turn his phone completely off. Niall and Liam would not stop texting him and teasing him about the cute guy he bumped into yesterday. Louis couldn’t get any sleep. He kind of forgot that he needs his phone for his alarm, but by some sheer amount of luck, he was able to wake up with just enough time to shower, get dressed, and get to work with just a few minutes to spare. No time for breakfast though, and Louis’ really grumpy without his tea in the morning. 

It’s a slow work day as far as customers go, not many people needing their electronics serviced today. But Louis does have a few laptops and even one desktop computer in the overnight shop he’s currently working on. The laptop that is in front of him right now has quite a nasty virus that has been giving him a lot of trouble. Of course it would be a lot easier to focus if he could stop thinking about those green eyes and long legs and broad shoulders of the guy outside the pub yesterday. He thought his friends were bad enough, but apparently his brain seems to be on their side. What a traitor. 

By the time lunch rolls around, Louis has gotten absolutely no work done. Well, that technically isn’t true. He did install some new software on one computer and called the owner to let them know it was ready for pickup, but that only took about the first ten minutes of his shift. He stops by the sandwich shop around the corner and orders his usual; the italian with extra dressing and a packet of crisps. 

He sits at one of the tables in the breakroom at work after taking his phone out of his locker. He usually keeps his phone on him while he’s at work, but today he had to lock it away because his friends still won't shut up. 

Swiping open his phone, he sees he has several unread texts in their Whatsapp group chat. 

 **Liam:** __Have you talked to him yet?  
**Niall:** __When’s the wedding?  
**Liam:** __Oh can I be the best man?  
**Niall:** _Absolutely not! Of course I will get to be the best man. I was friends with Lou before you and he didn’t even like you at first!  
_**Liam:** __So? We’re good friends now. I think I’ve earned the title.  

Louis sighs and wipes his greasy chip fingers off on a napkin before he taps out his reply. 

 **Louis:** __Neither one of you will be my best man because I hate the both of you.  
**Liam:** __Oh  
**Niall:** _We’re still invited though right?  
_**Louis;** __No because there is no wedding. Can you just delete my number and never talk to me again?  

He needs new friends, ones who don’t take the piss out of everything he does. Preferably, ones he can actually hang out with everyday instead of having to text. It it wasn’t so excruciatingly hard for him to talk to people, that would have happened ages ago. 

His phone vibrates again as he’s taking another bite of his sandwich, the extra dressing dripping out onto the table. 

 **Liam:** _Aw Lou don’t be like that._  
**Niall:** __Yeah we’re just having a bit of fun  
**Liam:** __In all seriousness have you tried talking to him again?  
**Louis:** __I don’t know if I’ll ever see him again. It was just completely random that we bumped into each other.  
**Liam:** _Maybe try retracing your steps from yesterday. You might just bump into him again._ __  
**Niall:** _Just not literally this time!  
_**Liam:** __And then you can talk to him  

He starts to feel a little sick thinking about talking to the guy from yesterday. What does he say? How does he act? Niall and Liam have never really understood that Louis can’t just _do_ things like that. It doesn’t come easy to him.  

 **Louis:** __How?  
**Niall:** __We know it’s scary but try not to think about it  
**Liam:** __Just be yourself! He won’t be able to resist you!  
**Louis:** __What do I say?  
**Liam:** __Just say hello  
**Niall:** __Introduce yourself!  
**Liam:** __Ask him about his day  
**Niall:** _Compliment his outfit  
_**Liam:** __You’re a charming guy Louis. It’ll come easier to you once you get over the initial icebreaker and start talking.  

Louis doesn’t think it’s going to be that easy. 

\-- 

After Louis gets off work, he doesn’t even realize he is walking the long way, the same way he went yesterday, until he’s halfway home. His heart stupidly picks up it’s pace as he gets closer and closer to the pub where he ran into the guy that’s been stuck in his mind all day. He stops right in front of the door to the bar and looks around. A couple cars drive by, but otherwise he’s the only one on the street. No way he’s ever going to find that guy again. 

Or at least that’s what he thinks until he catches movement out of the corner of his eye. He turns his head to look in through the window, and there he is. He’s inside, _behind the bar_ , like he actually works there. Louis didn’t think he’d ever see him again. 

He probably looks like a total knob, standing on the sidewalk, looking into a pub through the window, with his mouth hanging open, but this guy is way more beautiful than Louis remembered. He’s got his head thrown back in a laugh at something the person sitting in the barstool across the bar from him just said and even from this distance, Louis can clearly make out that deep dimple in his cheek. 

That continues for another week, Louis standing outside the pub like an idiot. He hasn't worked up the nerve to actually go inside, probably won't ever be able to, but he's perfectly fine just admiring from afar. 

His phone keeps buzzing in his pocket with encouragements — well what they like to call encouragements, Louis likes to call it annoying — from Niall and Liam, trying to help him go inside. 

Today Louis feels good though. It was a good day at work and he was able to leave a little earlier than normal and he's just in a really good mood. Something inside him is telling him today is the day. Today is the day Louis finally goes inside the pub. 

He takes a deep breath and then another and then about ten more before he swings open the door. He lets it fall shut behind him as he finally steps inside and then. Absolutely nothing happens. 

No one turns to look at him, none of the conversation stop, it's like he didn't just spend an entire week working up the courage to just come inside. It's not like Louis was really __expecting anything to happen, he just feels like this should be more monumental than it really is. 

But then Tall And Dimpley notices him and a smile spreads out across his face so wide that Louis actually feels sorry for his cheeks. He steps out from behind the bar and walks over to where Louis is still awkwardly standing in front of the door. 

 “Hey,” he greets in that fucking deep voice that Louis completely forgot about. This isn't going to end well. “I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to come inside.” 

Louis feels his cheeks heat up. Surely that doesn't mean that Ridiculously Broad Shoulders noticed him loitering outside for the last week like an absolute creep. He’s already fucked up before he’s even started. 

“I saw you walk by a few times,” he says as if he can read Louis’ thoughts. Except, he did say it a little bit nicer than Louis did inside his head.  “And I’m so glad that you finally made it in. Would you like a drink?” 

He starts to walk back to the bar and Louis follows him closely like a lost puppy. “Oh no, that’s okay.” 

“You sure? It’s completely on the house,” Legs For Days mentions. “It doesn't even have to be alcohol. I can get you like water or soda or something.” 

They’re at the bar now and Louis settles onto one of the barstools as he tries to think of a beer he likes. He’s knows there’s several he is a big fan of, but it doesn’t seem like his brain made it inside with him. “Um,” he starts and hopes that he doesn’t look like as big of a fool as he feels. “Do you have Stella?” 

Obscene Red Lips lights up at that. “I do. I have it on tap. I’ll get you a pint.” 

Louis watches as he fills the glass and how his huge hands make the glass look way smaller than it actually is. He just has really attractive hands. Like his left hand looks so nice wrapped around the tap and that’s something Louis really doesn’t need to be thinking about right now. 

“So,” Pretty Hands says as he sets down Louis’ beer on a little paper coaster shaped like a rose. “I really am sorry for bumping into you the other day. Are you sure you’re okay?” 

Louis glances up at him and he looks generally _concerned_ and Louis’ not sure what to make of that. They’re strangers, they know absolutely nothing about each other, and yet this guy seems to be so worried about Louis’ well being, like he might have actually hurt or upset Louis. That’s just a lot to take in. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Louis responds. “My ego may have gotten a little bruised, but no real physical injuries.” Where did that come from? He has never been that bold or talkative to someone he just met. But there’s something about this boy standing across from him that makes Louis comfortable. It’s like the fact that he even exists makes Louis feel at ease. 

“Oh good, I was really worried.” A furrow appears in between his eyebrows like he actually has been worrying about it, but it smooths out just as quickly as it appeared. “So what is—” 

“Harry!” Someone shouts from a booth on the opposite side of the room, cutting Green Eyes off in the middle of his question. “We need some refills over here!” 

“I’ll be right over,” he calls out to the booth before turning his attention back to Louis. “Sorry, duty calls. I’ll be right back.” He takes a pitcher out from underneath the bar and fills it with one of the beers on tap. 

 _Harry._ His name is Harry. It suits him, Louis thinks. He looks like a Harry and it’s nice to finally put a name to that face. That really pretty face.  

Louis sips his beer, not expecting Harry to come back to him. This is his job after all and there are other people in the pub, so it's highly unlikely that Harry will come back just to chat with him. 

Except, he  _ does _ come back. He stops by a few other tables to check in with them and he disappears into the back for a minute, but then he's walking right up to where Louis is sitting at the end of the bar. 

“So,” he says when he approaches Louis. “I don't think we’ve been properly introduced. ‘m Harry.”  He extends his arm over the bar and Louis gets momentarily distracted by his rings. There's one on his first three fingers, Louis particularly noticing the one shaped like a rose. It matches a tattoo Harry has on his other arm and the coaster Louis’ beer is sitting on and the whole decor of this place. Harry just really like roses. 

When Harry starts to narrow his eyes at him is when Louis realizes he never shook his hand. He places his hand inside Harry’s and is once again blown away by the sheer size of it. It _engulfs_ Louis’ own. “I'm Louis.”  

“Hi Louis,” Harry says, his eyes almost sparkling. He's just really pretty. “It's nice to finally meet you. And I'm glad I finally have a name to put to your face.” 

Louis squints because that's the second time today that Harry has said something Louis has just thought. For one crazy moment, Louis thinks that Harry might be able to read minds.  _ Blink twice if you can read my mind _ , he thinks. Harry just stares. 

Of course if he _could_ read minds, he's probably going to pretend like he can't. Or maybe (most likely) Louis is just finally gone crazy.  

A comfortable silence settles between them for a bit while Louis sips his beer and Harry drys a tray of glasses he brought up with him from the back. Louis’ never had a comfortable silence with someone. He's always felt awkward and felt like he had to says one thing to fill the silence, but he never knows what to say. But now he's perfectly fine just sitting here watching Harry work. 

“So what do you do, Louis?” Harry asks when he's placing the now dry glasses back under the bar. 

“Oh, um, I'm an IT guy.” He says it more to his beer than to Harry. When most people hear this they find it boring and just think Louis is a nerd. Which, he is, but he’s so much more than that. “I work at the eletronic store a few blocks from here.” 

“That’s cool,” Harry says like he actually means it. Louis looks up at him and there’s a smile on his face, his eyes bright with interest. “So you fix computers and stuff?” 

“Yeah,” he shrugs. “And I can write and install software.” 

“That’s so cool,” Harry says again like he really means it. 

“Really?” 

Harry nods so hard that some of his fringe flops into his face. “I think so. I’ve never been really good at computers, I just know the basics, you know. I’ve always wondered how they work, but I’m not quite smart enough to figure it out.” 

Louis’ stunned. He’s never had someone react this way to hearing about his job. And this happens to be someone Louis is _quickly_ finding himself very attracted to. “A lot of people think computers are complicated, but they really aren’t. I mean, I probably wouldn’t have a job if everyone understood them.”  

Harry laughs at that, this loud and honking thing that makes his dimple pop up. Louis didn’t think what he said was particularly funny, he wasn’t _trying_ to be funny, but he’ll never stop talking if it gets Harry to laugh like that. “Well I guess you’ll just have to show me sometime.”  

Wait, that must mean that Harry wants to see him again. Wants to spend more time with him. That’s a good thing right? “How long have you worked here?” Louis asks, wanting to get the attention away from him. 

“My whole life it feels like,” Harry chuckles. “My dad used to own this place so I kind of grew up here. When I turned eighteen I starting working here officially and I haven’t stopped since.” 

“Who owns it now?” Louis’ not sure why he wants to know this, but he feels like he needs to ask. 

“I do,” Harry answers, looking very proud of himself. “My dad retired and left the place to me and when he and my mum moved back to where my dad is from originally, I moved into the little flat above here.” He points up to the ceiling to where Louis assumes the flat is. 

“Doesn’t that get loud though?” Louis asks. 

“Nah, it’s been soundproofed, so I can’t hear a thing.” He leans a little bit over the bar so he’s closer to Louis. “It works both ways as well. I can be as loud as I want and no one will hear me.” 

Louis happens to take a sip of his beer just as Harry says this and he almost spits it out all over himself. Does that mean...no. _No_. Louis isn’t going to go there.  

The rest of the night goes by quickly. Louis ends up staying at the pub for a few more hours and it gets busier and busier the later it gets. Harry is a great host; walking around and checking on everyone, refilling drinks and taking orders, but no matter what he always comes back to Louis. And they talk a lot. Harry is just really easy to talk to and he makes Louis feel relaxed, like what he’s saying is actually interesting. 

When Louis decides it’s time for him to leave, Harry walks him to the door and gives him a hug goodbye. Louis can’t wipe the smile off his face the whole way home. He’s already so far gone. 

\-- 

Louis stops by the pub after he gets off work every night for the next week and Harry greets him every time with a wide, dimpley smile. Louis falls harder with each one. 

Of course, there are a couple times he stops by when Harry isn’t working. He tried to stay the first time, he ordered a drink from the girl who was working behind the bar, and even though she was really sweet, she wasn’t Harry. After sitting there by himself for just a few minutes, Louis had to leave. 

There’s too many people and he’s never noticed how incredibly loud it is. His heart is beating fast and he feels sweat breakout on the back of his neck, his hands won’t stop trembling around his pint. He knows the signs of an anxiety attack when he feels them and he has it get out. 

He throws a few pounds onto the bar to pay for his beer and rushes out as fast as he can. Once he safely makes it outside, he leans against the side of the building and takes a few calming breaths. The wind causes him to shiver when it brushes against his sweaty skin, but it helps him calm down even faster. 

Why hasn’t this happened before? Louis has been coming here for five days in a row now and this has never happened. Sure, he gets anxiety attacks quite often, just one of the perks that comes with living with anxiety, but he’s never had one here before. The pub has always make him feel calm, like he doesn’t have a care in the world. So why did this happen now? 

He doesn’t find out until the next day. He almost doesn’t stop by the pub, too afraid of having that happen again, but when he walks by he sees Harry inside and he goes in without even thinking about it. When he’s on his way home afterwards is when it hits him. 

It’s not the pub at all. It’s Harry. 

 _Harry_ is the reason why he always feels so good when he’s there. That’s why Louis had the attack the day Harry wasn’t there. It all makes so much more sense now. It’s like Harry is his own brand of anxiety medicine, far better than anything his doctor has prescribed to him. If Louis thought he was gone for that boy before, there’s no way he can stay away from him now.  

\-- 

“Excuse me?” 

Louis’ shoulders hunch inwards and he sighs. “Give me just one minute and I’ll be right with you.” 

Most of the time, okay all of the time except for today, Louis is a wonderful employee. He’s in his element when he’s at work and he has no problems chatting with any of his customers. He loves it, _thrives_ on it, but today he’d rather be anywhere else. Preferably at home in bed.  

For some strange reason, Louis wasn’t able to get much sleep the night before, and when he woke up from the few hours he did manage to squeeze in, he had the worst headache known to man and he hasn’t been able to get rid of it since. There was a new person working at the sandwich shop he always goes to and they made his order completely wrong. Normally Louis wouldn’t mind that so much, but on top of everything else today it just irked him. And now, with only ten minutes until he gets to go home, a customer shows up. It’s just been one of those days. 

Louis comes to a stopping point on the project he’s currently working on and turns around to help the customer. When he sees who it is, he has to stop himself from turning right back around. “What can I help you with, sir?” 

Harry is standing on the other side of the counter with a laptop under his arm. He has a beanie pulled down over his head and there’s a few little curls peeking out behind his ears. He’s wearing the same white t shirt he wore when they first bumped into each other and it’s honestly so sheer that he might as well not be wearing a shirt at all. Louis can’t stop staring at the moth or butterfly or whatever the hell it is he has inked in the middle of his chest. 

Louis shakes his head and takes a deep breath. He can do this. He’s at work so he needs to be professional. He’s used to Harry now and has no problem talking to him, they might even be friends by now. But this feels different than when they’re at the pub. 

“I seem to be having some trouble with my laptop.” Harry says in his usual slow timbre. He places his laptop on the counter and pushes it towards Louis. 

“Alright,” Louis says, stepping closer so he can reach the laptop. “What seems to be the problem?” 

Harry bites his lip and looks down at his hands, fiddling with one of the rings on his finger. “I can’t get it to turn on.” 

“Alright,” Louis says looking at Harry quizzically. He's being weird. Well, weirder than normal. “Let me take a look at it and see if I can do anything.” 

Louis opens the laptop and presses the power button. Nothing. He was expecting that. On to the next step. He flips the whole thing over to check if the battery is inserted correctly and it is. So he takes that out and cleans off the dust before putting it back in and pressing the power button again. Still nothing. 

“Do you have your power cord with you?” He asks Harry. 

Harry is still fiddling with his rings, but he briefly glances up to answer. “Um, no. I must have left it at home.” 

“That's okay,” Louis says, turning to the shelf behind him. “I should have a spare one around here somewhere.” 

He pulls the box of spare cords off the shelf. This thing is a mess, all the cords tangled together. He really needs to sort this out at some point. Luckily the exact cord he needs is sitting right on top. He plucks it out of the box and plugs it into the laptop and then into the outlet underneath the counter. 

Opening the laptop once more, Louis presses the power button and it immediately turns on. That’s weird. Surely the problem wasn’t that the battery was dead, Harry would know to plug in his laptop. Maybe it tries to start up but doesn’t even finish, shutting down halfway through boot up. So Louis waits a bit and it seems it start as normal. 

When the login screen pops up, he asks Harry to enter in his password. Louis checks a few more settings just to make sure everything is running as it should be and everything seems to be in order. 

“Okay,” Louis announces. “I know what you’re problem was.” 

“What?”” Harry prompts. 

“You’re battery was dead,” Louis says. “You just had to plug it in.” 

The high points of Harry’s cheeks turn a lovely shade of pink. “Oh, I guess I should have known that, but when I couldn’t get it to turn on I just assumed the worse. Good thing I happen to know a computer genius.” Now it’s Louis’ turn for his cheeks to turn to pink. “What time do you get off?” 

“Um,” Louis glances at the clock on the wall behind him. “In about two minutes.” 

“Great. Would you like to grab some dinner with me?” Harry asks. 

Louis doesn’t even need to think about it. “I’d love to.” 

They decide on the new Asian place that just opened that everyone has been raving about. The restaurant isn’t as busy as Louis was expecting it to be, but it is still fairly early for dinner, and they’re about to be seated at one of the more secluded tables near the back. Harry orders a bottle of wine for the both of them and some edamame for an appetizer. 

The dinner goes surprisingly well. Okay, not so surprisingly. Louis already knows he gets along really well with Harry, but spending time with him outside of the pub just proves it even more. 

Harry listens to attentively to whatever Louis is saying, like it’s the most interesting thing in the world. He nods at all the right places, interjects when needed, and laughs that loud obnoxious laugh of his that get a few people at the neighboring tables giving him dirty looks. Harry doesn’t seem to mind though, he doesn’t even seem to realize that there are other people in the restaurant he’s so attuned to Louis and honestly, Louis is finding that a little overwhelming. 

They order a dessert to split after their entrees—which was delicious, Louis is going to be coming here all the time after this—and Harry pays for their meal despite Louis’ pouts and protests. 

After they leave the restaurant, Harry says he’ll walk Louis home and they take the long way through the park. The sun had set while they were at dinner—they ended up spending four hours there, Louis doesn’t know how he missed time flying by that quickly—so all the lampposts are lit up along the pathway in the park. 

They’re walking close together, so close that every now and then their knuckles will brush together and it sends a spark up Louis’ arm. He’s itching to link their fingers together, but he’s not sure how Harry would react to that so he doesn’t. 

Harry just pours himself open, telling Louis all about his family and stories from when he was growing up, his entire life story pretty much. Louis’ enamored, can’t get enough of Harry’s slow drawl and the way his whole face lights up. He’s beautiful. 

That's all they do the rest of the night. Just talk. About the most useless things. And it’s not until Louis is tucking himself into bed that it hits him. He may have possibly just gone on a date with Harry. 

\-- 

Another month goes by and there is not a single day that Louis doesn’t spend with Harry in some way or another. They spend most of their time outside of the pub; either at Louis’ flat on the sofa in front of the telly or at the supermarket. Oddly enough, they spend a lot of time at the supermarket. 

They’ve also exchanged numbers and whenever they aren’t together, they’re texting. Louis has been yelled at quite a few times by customers for paying more attention to his phone than to them. 

Today though, Louis isn’t going to be seeing Harry. It’s just one day, but Louis already misses him. He’s pathetic. He texted Harry earlier this morning to let him know he had plans for the evening and wouldn’t be stopping by the pub. And of course, Harry being Harry, he was so lovely about it. 

The reason why he’s not seeing Harry today is because Liam and Niall are coming to town and he cannot wait. Louis has met them in real life once before, but that was almost a year ago and he’s so excited to see them again. 

It’s Thursday and they’re both coming in later that night; Niall flying in from Ireland and Liam is driving up from London. Louis still has to work tomorrow while they’re in town, but they have all weekend and then all day Monday to spend together before they leave on Tuesday. 

Louis’ been on edge on all because of it. He cleaned the shit out of his flat last night and set up the air mattress in the living room, so he’s all ready to go. But of course, since he’s so excited for the day to be over, it’s going by incredibly slow. And it’s been a slow work day as well. Every time he glances at the clock on the wall, knowing for sure about an hour has passed, it’s really only been five minutes. The day is never going to end. 

He’s sitting at the counter, discreetly replying to a text Harry just send him about what he should make for dinner, when he hears the automatic doors slide open. He looks up from his phone in hopes that it’s a customer coming to him so he has something to do, but it’s not a customer. It’s even better. 

“Liam!” Louis shouts as he jumps up from his stool and runs out to meet Liam in the middle of the store, immediately pulling him into a hug. 

Liam stumbles a little from the force of Louis running into him, but he’s smiling and that’s all that matters. “Hey Tommo.” 

“I wasn’t expecting you for a few more hours,” Louis says when he finally pulls away from the hug. 

“Yeah, I convinced my boss to let me work a half day today so,” he shrugs, glancing around the store. “Here I am.” 

Louis beams. His best friend is here, _in person_ , and he couldn’t be happier. Now Niall just needs to get here and it’ll be even better. 

“Well, I’ve still got about an hour left of work, so you can just hang out here if you want,” Louis says. “And then we can go pick up Niall from the airport.” 

Liam agrees to stay and they spend the rest of Louis’ shift chatting and catching up. Since Louis now has company, the last hour of his shift goes by in no time at all. 

At the airport, Louis pulls up a picture of the Irish flag on his phone and holds it above his head while he and Liam wait at arrivals. He hears Niall’s loud cackle before he sees him, then the two businessmen walking out of arrivals turn and go their separate ways, and there’s Niall. He’s got  large grin on his face and he’s completely grown his natural brown hair, there’s not a slick of blonde left. 

Louis gets tackled to the ground by an armful of loud Irishmen and then there’s a sloppy kiss being placed on his cheek. “It’s so good to see you again, mate,” Niall says. 

“Yeah, yeah, you too,” Louis shoves at Niall’s shoulder. “Now get off me, you freak. You’re causing a scene.” He nervously glances around to where several people walking by are eyeing them and to Liam who is standing to the side laughing, which isn’t making any of this any better. 

Since it’s already pretty late, they decide to just chill for the night at Louis’ flat. They order pizza and Chinese because all three of them are indecisive and can’t decide which one they want, so they go for both. 

Liam takes the air mattress and Niall takes the sofa because he says he can fall asleep anywhere. Louis sprawls out on the floor in front of the telly for now while they eat and watch a random footie game they found. They both tease him about Harry the whole night, but Louis just chooses to ignore that because it’s so nice to have both of his best friends here with him. 

\-- 

The following morning, Louis leaves for work as quietly as he can because both the boys are still fast asleep in his living room. He feels bad for leaving them on their own while he has to work, but they both assured him that they’ll be fine on their own for a few hours. 

The day passes a lot quicker than Louis thought it would. It seems like everyone in town is having computer troubles because he has customer after customer and the phone rings off the hook the whole day. 

Finally, Louis is able to clock out and head home. It went by fast, but it was incredibly stressful, and he is more than ready to spend the weekend with his mates. He’s going to stop by the pub on his way home since he knows that Harry is working tonight. He’s planning on asking Harry if he wants to hang out with him and Liam and Niall this weekend and he’s super nervous about it. 

He knows it’s ridiculous for him to be nervous about it; Harry’s quickly become one of Louis’ best friends and Niall and Liam have been his best friends for a while now so he knows they’re going to get along, but he’s still nervous. 

It’s almost like he’s introducing his boyfriend to his parents, which is crazy. Even though Liam and Niall like to act like his parents on occasion—especially Liam—they definitely aren’t. And of course, Harry isn’t his boyfriend. Louis wouldn’t be opposed if Harry suggested it, but he knows that’ll never happen. 

Louis’ heartbeat picks up speed when he notices the pub in the distance just because he knows he’s about to see Harry. He went one fucking day without seeing him and he’s a mess. He’s fallen _hard_ for this boy and there’s no going back.  

He already feels the smiling forming on his face when he pulls the door to the pub open, but that smile quickly fades when he steps inside and sees who is sitting at the bar. Both Niall and Liam are sitting at the bar in the middle of a conversation with Harry. 

Even though they kept pestering Louis with questions about Harry all night long, he told them that he would talk to Harry today about meeting them. Obviously they decided to take matters in their own hands and find Harry themselves. Louis didn’t even tell them which pub he worked out so they must have been very determined. 

Louis is _furious_. They’ve probably told Harry all these embarrassing things about Louis. Oh god, what if they’ve told him about Louis’ crush? And now their friendship is ruined because Harry doesn’t feel the same way. Why would he? Well since Harry is like the nicest person in the world, he’d probably let Louis down gently and still want to be friends. Louis isn’t sure that would be any better.  

The worry and frustration instantly melts away when Harry looks up and dimples when he notices Louis walking towards the bar. “Lou,” he greets with a smile, walking out from behind the bar to give him a hug. Louis sinks into it, reveling in the feel of Harry’s body against his own. He can feel Liam and Niall’s eyes on him, but he’s just going to pretend that they aren’t there. “Why didn’t you tell me your friends are in town?” 

“Yeah Lou, why didn’t you tell him your friends are in town?” Niall echos, a smug look on his face that Louis would really love to slap off. 

“Yeah Lou,” Liam joins in as well. 

Is there some sort of friend exchange or something where Louis can take the two of them and turn them in for two brand new friends who won’t mock and tease him all the time? Because that would be wonderful. 

“You know what,” Harry says pulling Louis out of his thoughts. “I’m going to call Jade in to take over for me and we should all go out.” 

Niall and Liam get obviously excited about this and Harry looks quite excited himself and he pulls his cell phone out of his back pocket, but Louis can’t help but to feel a little bit guilty. “Are you sure that’s okay? Can you just leave like that?” 

Harry looks up from his phone screen and gives Louis a small smile that absolutely does _not_ make Louis weak in the knees. “I own the place, Louis. I can do whatever I want.  Plus, Jade had been begging me for more hours, so I’m sure she’d be happy to fill in for me.” 

Turns out Harry was right, Jade jumps at the chance to come in and work. When she finally shows up about twenty minutes later, Louis recognizes her as the one who was working the night he has his anxiety attack. He flushes in embarrassment because he’s sure she noticed, but she just gives him a warm smile as she walks past. There’s something in her smile that makes Louis think she knows something he doesn’t, but he doesn’t have much time to dwell on it because Harry is pulling them out the door. 

Harry suggests they go to a nightclub, which Louis is _not_ about. Granted, he’s never actually been to a nightclub, but from what he knows about them from television and movies, it seems like the kind of place he would not be comfortable in. All those people crammed together in a small space and dim lighting so you can’t really see what’s going on around you. Yeah, not something he fancies.  

But then again, a pub wasn’t something he seemed too fond of either, but now he goes almost everyday. Technically, he only goes to see a certain person and that certain person is the reason why he feels so comfortable there, and he’s going to this nightclub with that certain person so maybe it won’t be as bad as he’s thinking it will be. 

It’s still fairly early as far as nightclub standards go, so it takes them no time at all to get through the line and inside. Harry must be able to tell that Louis isn’t feeling totally comfortable with this because he’s standing _very_ close and occasionally brushing his hand over the small of Louis’ back while he chats with Liam and Niall. Louis is incredibly grateful for it because it is helping him feel more at ease even though Niall and Liam keep giving him smug looks.  

Inside there aren't too many people and Louis feels himself instantly relax. The music is loud, like _really_ loud, you can barely hear yourself think, but it's just the kind of music Louis is into.  

“I'll order us some drinks if you guys want to go find a table,” Harry says, well more like shouts over the music. 

“I really like Harry,” Niall mentions as they snag one of the empty booths. Louis slides in next to him. 

“Yeah, me too,” Liam agrees. “He's a super nice guy.” 

“Thanks lads,” Louis snaps a little harsher than he was intending. “But I wasn't really looking for your approval.” 

Liam sighs and gives Louis a sympathetic look. “We know that, Lou. We just don't understand why you haven't made a move yet. It's so obvious that Harry is crazy about you.” Louis shakes his head and opens his mouth to disagree, but Liam barrels on before he gets the chance. “Before you showed up at the pub, you were all he could talk about. He kept saying how great you are and how happy he is that you've become such good friends and how much fun he has when he's with you.” 

“He fucking lit up when you finally came in. Like I was a little bit embarrassed on his behalf.” Louis can see Niall nodding along in the corner of his eye. “And then outside, how he kept cowering over you and putting his arm around you. We all know that this ain't your type of place and he was just trying to make you feel comfortable. Louis, that boy has got it bad for you.” 

“He’s just being a good friend.” 

“Why can’t you even consider the fact that he might like you back?” Niall asks. 

“Because he doesn’t,” Louis snaps again. He’s getting frustrated and he doesn’t understand why they won’t let this go. He and Harry are friends and he’s grateful for that, but he doesn’t want to do anything to ruin it. He’s just happy Harry is even a part of his life at all. “Someone like Harry is never going to like someone like me and that’s that.” 

“Are you sure—” Liam starts, but he doesn’t get to finish because Harry is approaching the table with four beers held in _one hand_. It should be illegal how big his hands are.  

Harry places the beers on the table and looks at Louis with something like disappointment, maybe, in his eyes, before he slides into the next to Liam. 

More and more people trickle into the club the later it gets and just a few hours later the place is packed. They stay at their table for the majority of the night, the rounds of drinks never ending. Niall started flirting with one of the bartenders, so now she keeps stopping by their table every few minutes to replenish their drinks. 

Louis’s feeling bubbly and happy from all the alcohol in his system and he can’t keep his eyes off of Harry. That’s not really anything new for him, he always has a hard time looking away from Harry, but now it’s about ten times worse. Harry is just so pretty, like _unfairly_ pretty, and the beer he’s been steadily drinking all night is making his eyes brighter and glossier, his cheeks flushed a pretty red. It’s a lot.  

Harry stumbles out of the booth and comes to stand by Louis’ side. He holds his hand out towards him. “Can I have this dance?” He slurs. He’s definitely way more drunk that the rest of them. 

Louis isn’t much of a dancer, but he’s tipsy and he’s been loving the music the club had been playing ever since they arrived, and he’s never been very good at saying no to Harry. So he nods and takes Harry’s hand and allows himself to be lead out onto the dancefloor. 

There’s no heavy grinding, which Louis is thankful for because he’d probably just end up embarrassing himself, but they are pressed closed together. Harry has his hands gripped firmly onto Louis’ waist and Louis’ arms are thrown over Harry’s shoulders as they sway along to the beat of the music. 

It’s hot being crammed onto the dancefloor with all the other bodies and Louis can feel the sweat starting to trickle down his back, can see it glistening in the dip between Harry’s pecs, can smell it on him. The smell of sweat should be gross, but it’s not on Harry because he always smells so _good_. Sweet and spicy yet fresh, like fucking apples and clove. Louis can’t get enough of it.  

Eventually, the alcohol starts to wear off and the exhaustion seeps in. It’s just past one in the morning and Louis doesn’t know how they were able to stay at the club for so long, but they all collectively decide that it’s time to turn in for the night. 

Louis gives Harry a tight hug goodbye before he sets off in his Uber and then he stumbles his way home with Liam and Niall. He can’t remember the last time he felt this happy.  

\-- 

“Since there hasn’t been anyone here in over an hour, I was thinking about closing early tonight,” Harry says. “You want to stay with me while I clean up?” 

Louis looks up from the plate of chips he was attempting to eat, but they’ve gone cold and soggy because he honestly forgot about them. He’s been enjoying his time sitting here at the bar chatting with Harry while he works. It’s become sort of his daily routine now. That’s why he forgot about the chips and also why several hours have gone by without him noticing. 

When he first came into the pub, there were other people and it was still light outside. But now, it’s empty except for the two of them and there’s nothing but darkness beyond the windows. “Yeah, sure.” 

He shoves the soggy plate of chips to the side as Harry walks to the front to switch off the open light and lock the front door. He disappears into the back and then Louis hears the music being turned up a few notches, it’s been playing through some of Queen’s greatest hits all night. Harry appears back in the doorway with a mop in his hand, using it as a microphone. 

Louis laughs as he watches Harry sing and dance along to the music while he mops the floor behind the bar and Louis can’t help but to join in, wiggling along to the beat on his barstool. 

The song changes to _You’re My Best Friend_ , and even though it’s ridiculous because they haven’t known each other for very long, Louis feels like this song pertains to him and Harry. It’s never been this easy for Louis to get along with someone, he’s never been able to gain a friend this quickly. 

And with Harry it’s so different than any other friend Louis has ever had because Louis can truly be himself around him. Harry makes him feel at ease, more outgoing, so _comfortable_ , like he could take on the world and it’d be fine because Harry is by his side. He’s definitely Louis’ best friend, just don’t tell Niall and Liam that. 

Sure, there’s also that tiny insignificant detail where Louis likes Harry as a little more than a friend, but he knows those feelings won’t be reciprocated. Because how could someone so wonderful and outgoing as Harry like someone so shy and awkward as Louis? 

 _I Want to Break Free_ plays next and Harry is doing a pretty awful impression of Freddie Mercury from the music video as he wipes down the tables. Louis has tears in his eyes from laughter by the time Harry’s moved on to the bar. He stops directly in front of Louis’ barstool, the both of them still singing along, although Louis has to stop because he’s laughing too much.  

He throws his head back with it, reaching out to brace himself against Harry’s forearm. The second his hand comes into contact with Harry’s skin everything _stops_. Harry ceases his singing and Louis’ laughter dies, he can’t even hear the music anymore. When he opens his eyes his heart drops into his stomach from the way Harry’s looking at him; like he’s the only person in the world.  

Louis knows what’s coming next without actually knowing what’s coming next. He barely has time to blink before he feels pillowy soft lips against his own. He squeaks in surprise, lips tingling, and he’s unsure what to do with his hands. It doesn’t last very long, just a chaste and innocent little thing, and Louis doesn’t even have time to react to it before Harry’s pulling away. 

His eyes are still closed, a wide smile on his face and that stupid fucking dimple in his cheek. He slowly blinks his eyes open, the smile quickly falling when he notices Louis frozen in place. “Lou?” 

What is he supposed to do? Harry can’t just kiss him out of literally nowhere and expect Louis to know what to do. He hasn’t even gotten his own feelings in check. Yes, the kiss was nice, and yes, he likes Harry a stupid amount, but now what? Surely, Harry doesn’t like him like that, he just kissed him because he feels sorry for him. That was a pity kiss. Louis doesn't need his pity. 

“What’s wrong?” Harry asks, when Louis still hasn’t said anything. 

Louis hops down from the barstool and shoves his way past Harry. “I have to go.” 

“Why?” Harry chases after him and takes over unlocking the door because Louis can’t get his hands to stop shaking. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, yeah. I just have to get up early in the morning and stuff,” Louis lies. “So I should really go.” 

“Oh, um. Okay.” Louis can hear the disappointment in Harry’s voice, making him even more confused. “I’ll see you tomorrow then?” 

“Maybe,” he responds in a whisper. With a deep breath and a quick glance at Harry he’s gone. 

His phone dings for the fifth time in the last seven and half minutes. Louis groans from where he face planted directly into his couch the second he got home and blindly reaches out towards the coffee table for his phone. Of course every text is from Harry and each one has his heart sinking more and more. 

 _Hey just checking in. Hope you're alright._  

 _I’m sorry if I overstepped. The last thing I wanted was to make you uncomfortable._  

 _I'm sorry Lou. That kiss was completely inappropriate and I shouldn't have done it. I don't even know if you like me like that. So sorry._  

 _Let’s just pretend it didn't happen okay? I can do that. It's forgotten._  

 _Lou please reply. Just say something. I need to know that you're okay._  

Louis ignores each one. He can't bring himself to say anything, he doesn't want to make things worse than they already are. He clicks out of his messages with Harry and opens up WhatsApp to his group chat with Liam and Niall and sends a quick text to them before heading to bed. 

 _I think I may have fucked up._  

\-- 

He feels like shit when he his alarm wakes him up the next morning and he reluctantly rolls out of bed. He mindlessly goes through the motions of getting ready for work; shower, get dressed, eat breakfast. He checks his phone before he leaves his flat and he doesn’t have any more texts from Harry. He must have gotten the idea from Louis’ silence that Louis wasn’t going to reply. 

He does have several texts from Niall and Liam though. Both asking him what’s going on and if he’s okay. Louis sighs, he’s really not in the mood to talk about it right now so he just closes out of their chat and heads to work.

On his way home from work, he takes the old route, the one that doesn’t go by the pub. He doesn’t want to risk seeing Harry because now he feels so ashamed. He’s spend all day thinking about it, and maybe his friends were right. Maybe Harry does have feelings for him. 

That’s something that makes Louis stomach flip whenever he thinks about it, so he tries not to. But the more he does think about it, the more it makes sense. Obviously, Harry wouldn't have given Louis a pity kiss, he’s not that kind of person. He would have kissed him because he _likes_ him. Which is an absolute mindfuck. 

Running away after someone kisses you is probably the most pitiful thing you can do, and that’s exactly what Louis did. He can’t believe he really did that. He wants to die every time he’s reminded of it. And he’s so _embarrassed_. Louis has trouble trying to act normal in social situations and it’s even harder around Harry because Harry makes his brain so stupid he can’t keep anything straight. So he freaked out and ran. He’s officially the biggest idiot in the world.  

The next couple days go by fairly the same. Louis goes to work, avoids the pub on his way home, still doesn’t reply to Harry, ignores the multiple texts he’s still getting from Liam and Niall, and feels sorry for himself. He needs to get his shit together. 

He’s moping on his couch after work when the idea hits him. He changes into some more acceptable clothes that aren’t his joggers that he hasn’t washed in about a week and an old shirt that has several holes in it, and walks to the pub. Hopefully Harry is working today. 

Harry’s standing at one of the tables, his back to the door, as he clears away the empty plates and beer bottles. There’s a large amount of people in the pub tonight, which makes sense seeing as it’s Friday night, and Louis’ nerves skyrocket. He’s about to do this in front of all these people and he’s _way_ out of his comfort zone, but he has to do this for Harry.  

Harry, who is the most humble, kind, and selfless person he’s ever met, who constantly makes Louis laugh and feel safe and warm and _happy_. He’s just so lovely.  

Louis takes a deep breathe and weaves his way through the tables and chairs to where Harry is still standing with his back to him. He reaches up and taps Harry on the shoulder, prompting him to turn around. Louis only takes in Harry’s confused but slightly optimistic expression for a second before he’s stepping closer and pressing his lips against Harry’s. 

There’s some whistles and hollers from the people at the surrounding tables, but as soon as Harry starts to kiss him back that all fades away and it’s just the two of them. Large hands grip onto Louis’ waist to pull him flush against Harry’s body and Louis whimpers, winding his fingers in the extra curly bits of Harry’s hair at the base of his neck. 

Now, Louis actually gets to enjoy the kiss and, _god_ , does he enjoy it. Harry’s lips are so soft and slick against his own and he tastes of mint and vanilla and all the good things in the world. And they way they just fit together, like they are puzzle pieces literally molded for each other. Louis can’t get enough. 

Harry’s smiling this big dopey grin when they finally pull apart and Louis can’t help but to mirror it, reaching up to poke a finger into the deep dimple in Harry’s left cheek. 

“Well, hello to you too,” Harry greets, his fingers still digging into Louis’ hips. 

Louis’ grin widens and he quickly pecks Harry on the lips just because he can. And also Harry’s lips are red and shiny and it’s just really hard to resist, okay. Someone cat calls from the corner booth causing Harry to giggle and for his cheeks to turn a lovely shade of pink, his eyes falling to his boots. Louis is so _giddy_. He can’t believe Harry doesn’t hate him for the way he’s been acting the last few days.  

“Hello,” Louis says a little bashfully. “I’m sorry for running out on you and for ignoring you for the last three days.” Harry opens his mouth to say something in reply, but Louis holds up a hand stopping him. He was probably going to say that it’s okay, but it’s _not_ okay. Harry doesn’t deserve to be treated like that. He deserves nothing but kindness, just they way Harry treats everyone else. “If you agree to go on a date with me, I promise that I will explain everything.”  

Harry positively _beams_ at that, his smile lighting up the whole damn pub, and Louis’ stomach swoops. “I’d love to go on a date with you, Lou. When?”  

“How about tomorrow night?” Louis suggests. “Are you working?” 

“I am, but I can probably get someone to cover me.” 

“Perfect,” Louis says. “I’ll pick you up here at seven. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go get ready for my hot date.” 

He’s made it about halfway to the door before Harry stops him. “Wait,” he calls out. “What should I wear?” 

“Whatever you want,” Louis answers. “You look good in anything.” 

\-- 

Louis is in his neighbour’s borrowed car on his way to the pub to pick up Harry for their date. To say he’s nervous would be an understatement. He’s having a hard time keeping his grip on the wheel because his palms won’t stop sweating. It's just Harry, they’ve spent time alone together several times before, he really shouldn’t be this nervous, but this is an actual date Like they both know this is a date and it could possible lead to more. God, he’s going on a _date_ with _Harry_. He may have to pull over because he might be sick.  

He parks the car on the street in front of the pub and heads inside. Jade is behind the bar and he waves at him when he approaches. “Harry is upstairs. You can go on up.” 

Louis nods and walks through the double doors the back and up the stairs that lead to Harry’s flat. He’s never been up here before, never seen the inside of Harry’s apartment, and that just makes his nerves kick up even more. 

A little welcome mat is in front of Harry’s door with a picture of a sleeping cat who is sprawled out across the top of the letters. Louis feels a little awkward standing on it, so he keeps his feet away from the cat. He takes a deep breath and then knocks. 

There’s some shuffling coming from behind the door and then it swings open to reveal Harry. He looks _incredible_. That’s a fairly normal thing for Harry, there’s never a time when he doesn't look good. Louis thinks he should be used to it by now, but every time he sees Harry he’s always blown away by how _pretty_ he is.  

He’s in a simple white button up that’s only buttoned about halfway, the tattoos on his chest peeking out from behind, which is tucked into a pair of plaid trousers. If Louis saw those trousers at the shop, he would think they’re absolutely hideous, but Harry pulls them off. There’s isn’t a single thing that Harry can’t wear. Louis _isn’t_ jealous.  

“Hi,” Harry says, his dimple popping up on his cheek. 

“Hey,” Louis says back. “You ready?” 

Harry hums in response and leans in for a kiss, but Louis places a hand on his chest stopping him. He ignores the confused and hurt look on Harry’s face because he has a point to make. 

“I’m not going to kiss you before we’ve even had our first date, Harold.” Louis keeps his voice light to make sure Harry knows he isn’t totally serious. “What kind of girl do you take me for?” 

“Right of course,” Harry nods, turning to lock the door behind them. “I guess I’m just going to have to work for it then.” 

Jade tells them to have fun and to not do anything she wouldn’t do when they walk out and Louis loves the way Harry blushes at that. 

They’re in the car for a little under an hour because Louis is driving two towns over, but they roll down all the windows and sing along to the radio. Harry asks where they’re going several times, but Louis never answers him. He wants it to be a surprise. 

“Lou,” Harry says softly when they finally pull into the makeshift car park. His eyes are wide as he takes in their surroundings. 

“I know it’s kind of cheesy, but I—” 

“No, it’s not,” Harry interjects. “I love carnivals.” 

Okay, Louis wasn’t really expecting that. Even if Harry didn’t love carnivals, Louis knew he’d go along with it anyway and have a good time because that’s just the type of person he is. He’s happy he picked something that Harry actually enjoys. “You do?” 

“Yes,” Harry exclaims like a kid on Christmas morning, unable to contain his excitement. “Now come on. I want funnel cake.” 

They order hot chocolate and a funnel cake to share and sit at one of the little picnic tables to eat. Harry pouts adorably when Louis snaps a few pictures of him with his face covered in icing sugar. 

While they eat, Louis explains to Harry why he ran out on him the other day. He talks about how he’s struggled with social anxiety his whole life and about how he sometimes doesn’t really know how to act around people. 

Harry, of course, is lovely about it, like he always is. He says he knew Louis was shy, but he also thought that it might have gone deeper than that, but he was afraid to ask about it because he didn’t want to offend Louis. Harry assures him that he does like him, quite a lot in fact, and he has since they first bumped into each other. And that’s really all Louis needs to hear. 

They wander between all the rigged carnival games that Louis spends far too much money on. He gets ripped off on every single one, but he is _determined_ to win Harry a prize. The very last one he tries is the ring toss, which he is complete shit at, but it’s his last attempt to get Harry a damn stuffed _something_ , so he goes in with his head held high. 

It takes him six tries, but he does it. He actually does it. He’s the best bloody ring tosser around. Harry cheers from behind him and throws his arms up in pure joy. Louis lets him pick out the prize he wants, and he goes with the white teddy bear wearing a party hat. 

Sprinkles, which Harry names the bear because _he’s got white fur like frosting, Lou, and there’s these tiny little flecks of brown throughout it that look like sprinkles_ , is tucked underneath Harry’s right arm and his left hand is holding Louis’ right as he leads them towards the Ferris wheel. 

Louis thinks the Ferris wheel looks a bit rickety, like it’s got a few rusty bolts or something. He’s never really trusted those rides that get built and then taken apart to move to another city and then built all over again. But Harry wants to ride it and Louis’ going to be right there with him. 

The girl operating the ride says it’s a safety hazard to bring the bear into the car with them. Harry is a little reluctant to leave Sprinkles behind, but she promise Harry that she will take good care of him while they ride. 

They climb into a car and the ride worker locks the bar down over their laps. The wheel starts to turn slowly and lifts them up, causing the sounds from the carnival to grow fainter as they rise. 

Louis glances over to Harry who is sitting stiffly with his hands clenched tightly around the bar, knuckles white. “Are you afraid of heights or something?” 

“Um,” Harry bites his lip and he turns to face Louis. “A little, but this doesn’t look too high so I think I’ll be okay.” 

As they reach the top, the wheel slows to a stop to allow a couple passengers off and two more to get on in their place. The fairy lights strung up all around the fair are now lit up as the sun has completely set, leaving the sky pitch black. They are a ways out of the city so they’re able to see the stars twinkling overhead. 

Louis looks out at the lights of the city skyline off in the distance and thinks about how there is no other place he’d rather be than at the top of this Ferris wheel with the warm solid weight of Harry pressed into his side. 

Harry shifts and clears his throat loudly. “Lou.” 

“Mm.” Louis looks over to him and his breath gets caught in his throat. Harry is looking at him so intently and the fairy lights are hitting him just right, bouncing off the curve of his lips and touching the baby curls behind his ears. He’s so fucking beautiful. 

“I know you said that you didn’t want to kiss on the first date,” Harry says, nervously fidgeting his hands in his lap. “But I can’t stop thinking about how much I want to kiss you. Now that I know what it’s like to kiss you, I just want to do it all the time. I want to respect your wishes and—” 

“Harry.” His eyes snap up to look at Louis’ face from where they were focused down on his hands, wide and full of hope. “I was just joking about that. So will you just shut up and kiss me.” 

Harry nods frantically and leans in. It's a soft, gentle press of lips, but it's _perfect_. Harry whimpers when Louis nibbles on his bottom lip and that's the most beautiful sound Louis has ever heard.  

They break apart in giggles when the wheel jolts back into movement. They ride for a few more rotations, somehow managing to sit even closer to each other. Louis’ not sure where he ends and Harry begins. 

They collect Sprinkles from the girl working the Ferris wheel and continue exploring the rest of the carnival. They ride a few more rides, the lines moving quickly due to more and more people leaving since it's gotten dark. 

Since that kiss on the Ferris wheel, Harry hasn't been able to keep his lips off of Louis. Whether it's a peck on the lips, or the cheek, or the neck, his lips find a way to be touching Louis. And Louis is definitely not complaining about that. 

Harry buys a giant caramel apple to go and he feeds bits of it to Louis as he drives them home. It's sticky and messy, but Louis loves the way Harry’s eyes darken when he purposefully sucks on his fingers. 

“When do you have to give the car back to your neighbour?” Harry asks when they're standing in the back lot behind the pub. 

“He doesn't need it until ten tomorrow morning,” Louis answers. 

“Oh okay.” Harry looks down at his boots and secures his feet through the gravel. “Do you want to come up?” I mean—” he shakes his head, seeming nervous. “I’m not trying to be like presumptuous or anything, I just don't want the date to end yet.” 

Louis agrees, he doesn't want to leave Harry just yet. “Yeah, sure. I'll come up.” 

Harry leads him up the stairs and into his flat. He makes his way into the kitchen. “I'm going to make some tea. Would you like some?” 

“I’d love some.” Louis’ standing right inside the door, glancing around the flat. It's a lot smaller than he imagined, but it's nice and Harry’s made it feel really homey. 

There's black and white pictures of what Louis assumes is Harry’s family pinned up on the wall behind the sofa, a record player in the corner, and a dark hallway straight across from him the most likely leads to the bedroom and bathroom. 

Harry walks over and hands Louis his tea. “Do you wanna watch a film or something?” 

Louis takes his shoes off and leaves them by the front door. He curls up on the sofa with his tea cradled in his hands and he fits himself against Harry’s side. Harry drapes his arm around Louis’ shoulder pulling him closer, while he scrolls through the movies on Netflix. 

Halfway through the cheesy romantic comedy they chose to watch, Louis gets antsy. He isn’t sure why, but he’s itching for _something_. He can’t even focus on the movie anymore. He shifts on the couch sofa, no longer comfortable in the position he’s in, but he can’t seem to get comfortable no matter how he’s sitting.  

Then that super cliche movie thing happens and it hits him. Before the movie started, Harry had made them a bowl of popcorn, and now they’re reaching into the bowl at the same time, their fingers getting tangled together. Their eyes lock and Louis gets hit with a wave of want. He _wants_ Harry. So much that his mouth is watering with it.  

The corner of Harry’s mouth starts to lift up in a smile, but the other corner doesn’t get to join in because Louis’ own mouth is interrupting it. Harry makes a surprised noise when their lips connect and the popcorn bowl gets knocked to the ground. It was almost empty anyway. 

Louis can taste the salt on Harry’s lips as he licks over them. The tiny whimpering sounds he makes when Louis slides his fingers into his hair, lightly tugging cause Louis’ head to swim. He groans suddenly, surprising himself, as Harry licks into the heat of his mouth. And then he’s being tugged forward to lay out on top of Harry as he sprawls out on the sofa. 

Their tongues slip in and out of one other’s mouths. There’s too much spit and no finesse, but _god_ , Louis can’t get enough. Kissing really shouldn’t feel this _good_.  

Large hands slide down the length of Louis’ back, rucking up the bottom of his shirt to touch skin. It’s hot, _burning_ hot; the small of Louis’ back where Harry’s fingers are drawing lazy shapes. They drag up and over the knobs of Louis’ spine, taking his shirt with them. Louis shivers. He feels as if he’s about to combust. 

He has to break away to breathe because he’s not sure if his lungs are even working anymore. He mouths and sucks at Harry’s adam’s apple, mindlessly grinding down against Harry’s stomach. That’s when Louis realizes he’s _hard_ and everything comes to a screeching halt.  

He shoves at Harry’s chest so he can sit up and wipes at his mouth with the back of his hand. He moves so he sitting at the far end of the couch, no longer touching Harry. How did they go from sharing popcorn and watching a rom com, to fucking grinding on the sofa? 

“Lou?” Harry asks, confusion evident in his voice and he sounds _wrecked_. A glance to his right proves that Harry _looks_ wrecked too. His lips are a bright cherry red, slick and swollen. His pupils wide and blown out, just the tiniest ring of green around them. His hair an absolute mess. Louis can make out the very obvious line of his erection in his trousers. Fuck. “Are you okay?”  

Louis nods, moving his eyes from Harry’s crotch to his face. “Yeah, yeah. I got carried away, I’m sorry.” 

“Hey,” Harry says softly, leaning up to brush his hand across Louis’ forearm. “I don’t want it to seem like I invited you inside to get off with you, because that wasn’t my intention at all. I just wanted to spend more time with you.” 

“No, no, I know,” Louis says, feeling very small all of a sudden. “Technically I started it, I’ve just never um…” How does he say this without sounding like a loser? 

“You’ve never had—” 

“I’m not a bloody virgin, Harry,” he unintentionally bites out, shooting Harry an apologetic look. “I’ve had sex before, I’ve just never had it with someone I care about.” He almost said someone I love. Because _fuck_ , yeah, he _loves_ Harry.  

“You haven’t?” Harry asks sounding shocked. 

Louis shakes his head. He hasn’t. His first time was really great, but it was with his older neighbour who he fancied. They just did it to do it and then went right back to being neighbours. The second time was a drunken one night stand, that Louis can’t even remember the name of, can barely remember what he looks like. And that’s it. Just two people, only twice, and he’s almost _thirty_.  

“Oh, well,” Harry bites his lip. “Do you want to keep going because I’m still…” He gestures to where his hard cock is almost bursting through his trousers. Louis chuckles but nods, and then he’s falling backwards onto the couch, Harry climbing on top of him. 

They’re kissing again, but it’s more sloppy this time, filthy. Harry slips a thigh between Louis’ and grinds down, wild and clumsy. Their cocks rub together through four layers of clothing, but it still feels incredible. Louis feels the heat of Harry against him, feels him twitching. 

The noises escaping from Harry when their mouths slip apart are _gorgeous_ , whines and low throaty groans  Louis wants to make him make those sounds for the rest of his life. 

Louis can feel the heat start to build in his groin, spreading out through his body. It tingles in his fingertips and swirls in his stomach. But then Harry is pulling back and that delicious friction against his cock is gone. He opens his eyes and furrows his brow up at Harry in confusion. 

“Wanna suck you,” is all Harry says. Louis was so close from fucking dry-humping, that Harry just _saying_ that almost makes him come.  

He nods without even thinking about it and begins to undo his jeans, but Harry bats his hand away before he can. Harry yanks Louis’ jeans and pants down to just above the knee, leans back in and then closes his lips over just the head of Louis’ cock, suckling and swirling his tongue. 

Harry licks all along the shaft, just tasting, and he looks so blissed out, like this is the best thing to ever happen to him. Louis agrees wholeheartedly, because this is definitely the best thing to ever happen to _him_. Harry makes a fist at the base, giving the tip light kitten licks that make Louis’ hips twitch with each one.  

Wet, searing heat envelopes Louis’ cock as Harry moves his mouth down to meet his fist. He stops and breathes deeply through his nose, his breathe tickling Louis’ stomach, and his tongue doing these _crazy_ zigzag movements. Louis can _feel_ Harry swallowing around him.  

Louis was so close already that he can only handle about thirty seconds of that sweet, hot suction before his hips are snapping up and he’s coming. His vision blacks out and there’s nothing but static and stars behind his eyelids as Harry sucks him through his release. 

“Holy shit,” he wheezes as he blinks his eyes open. Harry is still lying between his thighs, nursing his softening cock with little sucks that are _too much_ but feel _so good_.  

Harry’s tongue flicks out in the air as he pulls off. He sits up and straddles Louis’ thighs, pulling his trousers down just far enough for his cock to bob out. Fuck, it’s so _pretty._ He strips his hand across it so quickly that it becomes a blur and Louis is so stunned by watching Harry like this that he can’t do much of anything except rub his fingertips over the head of Harry’s cock. That must be enough because Harry’s body goes rigid and he shouts as he comes onto Louis’ belly.  

It’s quiet. So quiet that Louis’ ears are ringing. He’s not complaining though because he’s got Harry laid out on top of him as he catches in breath in the crook of Louis’ neck. Their sticky and sweat-slick, but Louis could fall asleep like this, can already feel himself starting to slip into slumber. 

“Stay the night,” Harry mumbles into Louis’ neck, his lips brushing against his skin. “Please.” 

They tidy up the popcorn that spilt and straighten up the couch before hopping into the shower. It was supposed to be a quick rinse just to clean the sweat and come from their bodies, but Louis gets distracted by seeing Harry fully naked and _wet_ that he just can’t help himself. And, when he gets out, if his knees are aching from kneeling on the hard tile floor of the shower when he sucked Harry off, then so be it.  

Climbing into Harry’s bed, Louis feels more relaxed that he has in a long time. His body is pliant and weightless and he sinks into the soft mattress. He pulls Harry close against his chest when he finally joins him after turning off all the lights. He falls asleep with his heart beating in time with Harry’s.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm [ireallysawanangel](http://ireallysawanangel.tumblr.com) on tumblr, so come say hi!


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